Denmark receives F35 jets, joins the 5th Generation fighter community

Denmark on 14th September, 23 received the first four F35 aircraft. The aircraft arrived in Skrydstrup in Southern Jutland. This makes Denmark join the elite European countries operating this advanced fighter jet.

The Danish Defence Ministry informed us about the delivery through their official Twitter handle. In the tweet, they said that it is a very special occasion for Denmark and is important for strengthening the air force with modern aircraft and weapons. This will strengthen Denmark's capability to defend itself from any offensive.

About the F35 aircraft received by the Danish Air Force

The Lockheed Martin F35 Lightning II aircraft is an American Family of single-seat, all-weather, multirole stealth combat aircraft which is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also capable of providing electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Lockheed Martin is the prime F-35 contractor with principal partners Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.

The aircraft descends from Lockheed Martin X-35 which in 2001 beat the Boeing X-32 to win the Joint Strike Fighter Program. Its development is principally funded by the United States with additional funding from program partner countries from NATO and close US allies including Australia, the UK, Canada, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands. The F35 first flew in the year 2006 and entered the service with the US Marines Corps in July 2015.

The aircraft was first used in combat in 2018 by the Israeli Air Force. It is a single-engine, single-seat, all-weather stealth multi-role combat aircraft and is the most lethal, survivable and connected fighter jet in the world. The F35 gives pilots a critical advantage against any adversary enabling them to execute their missions and reach home safely.

Idag tog forsvarsminister @troelslundp imod de fire første F-35 fly i Skrydstrup i Sønderjylland. Det er en helt særlig dag for Danmark, og det er en vigtig styrkelse af flyvevåbnet og det danske forsvar med de moderne fly ✈️🪖 #F35 #dkforsvar pic.twitter.com/4Biz4SCAcV

— Forsvarsministeriet/Danish MoD (@Forsvarsmin) September 14, 2023

The F=35 Lightining strengthens national security, enhances global partnerships, and powers economic growth. It is the most lethal, survivable, and connected fighter jet in the world. The F35 gives the pilots an advantage against any adversary, enabling them to execute their missions and reach home safely.

The Electro-Optical Targeting System for the F-35 Lightning II is an affordable, high-performance, light weight, multi-function system that provides precision air-to-air and air-to-surface targeting capability. The low-drag stealthy EOTS is integrated into the F-35 Lightning II's fuselage with a durable sapphire window and is linked to the aircraft-integrated central computer through high-speed fibre optic interference. As the sensor combines forward-looking Infrared search and track functionality, EOTS enhances F35 pilot's situational awareness and allows aircrews to identify areas of interest, perform reconnaissance and precisely deliver laser and GPS-guided weapons and has delivered more than 850 systems for the F-35 Lightning II.

Advanced EOTS, an evolutionary electro-optical targeting system is available for the F35's Block 4 development. Designed to replace the EOTS, advanced EOTS incorporates a wide range of enhancements and upgrades, including short wave infrared, high definition television, and infrared marker and improved image detection resolution. These enhancement increases F35 pilots' recognition and detection ranges, enabling greater overall targeting performance.